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Religion
God'' redirects here. You may be looking for the creators, Kaja and Phil Foglio, or their word.'' Religion in the world of Girl Genius seems to have been left deliberately ambiguous.It may be more precisely accurate to say that ''everything'' has been left deliberately ambiguous and that religion, because it deals with theories of "everything", especially so. Evidence of Judeo-Christian religious belief Whatever form religion is in in Europa, it is closely analogous to Christianity to the point of using the same terminology (at least as translated from lingua europa) , albeit with a mad science twist. * In TPU there is a machine or tank labeled "Do not open until Xmas" . The "dates" for volume 1 on the web site were assigned by back-dating the older pages once Girl Genius 101 caught up with the Advanced Class, but this comic ended up dated Christmas., and the Mittelmind let most of his research children out of their containment tanks for Christmas" ". One must have a Christ in order to celebrate a mass (holy day) for him/her. * The first name of Moloch von Zinzer was . The Bible exists, and from the discussion at least one story is similar to the Bible we know. * Hezekiah Donowitz appears wearing a [[wikipedia:Kippah|''kippah'' or yarmulke]] (skullcap), which suggests that Judaism is currently being practiced as a religion. Another unnamed TPU student what appears to be Hasidic-style dress, including ''rekel'' (long dark coat), [[wikipedia:Shtreimel|''shtreimel'' or spodik]] (fur-trimmed hat), and payot (sidelocks). Hebrew also exists as a language, as the is labeled as כשר (Kosher). * One of the old Heterodynes was called a blasphemer, implying a belief in someone to blaspheme against. * Before their appearing in the actual comic, The Secret Blueprints and Othar's journal refer to the railroad-building order, the Corbettite Monks, whose works seem to be supported by Imperial sponsorship, fudge sales and some more-or-less voluntary payment by passengers on their trains.. The Corbettite Railway is used by Agatha to from Gil and Martellus von Blitzengaard. The schedule is and a late train is . The Corbettites submit, grudgingly, to the authority of a as-yet-unnamed who is an uncle of Martellus von Blitzengaard. * Many common expletives invoke a higher power of some ilk: "Good Lord!", "Mon dieu". Professor Diaz uses a prayerful oath one might almost imagine as coming from a Corbettite monastery, "Madre de Diodes". * Dame Aedith, vampire hunter, wears a high collar with a Greek Cross, or crux immissa quadrata, inside a circle imprinted on it. This, combined with the notion of vampire hunters bedecking themselves in holy symbols, suggests the existence of Christianity. Seven Popes At one point in Volume 8, Gil claims that "all seven Popes ordered" his father's manuscript burned . The comic proper has yet to offer any more details on these leaders, but a footnote in one the Girl Genius print-novel adaptations reveals that after the sacking of the Vatican by the Anabaptist Alchemical Army in 1566, seven recognized popes arose:Agatha H. and the Voice of the Castle, page 162 * The Pope of Avignon * The Ottoman Pope * The Pope of the Tsars * The Pope of Belfast (possibly the Pope whom the Corbettites recognize.) * The Gypsy Pope (unaffiliated with the Romany.) * The Pope of the Mountains * The Sicilian Papa de Tutti Papi Churches in Mechanicsburg Mechanicsburg has at least one church building, the Red Cathedral, as well as a chapel inside Castle Heterodyne, the former being built as a result of the . If the term "cathedral" is being used properly, it would imply that a Bishop has his seat there.Cathedra literally means "chair" but in reference to churches is used synecdochically as in English "seat of government" or "county seat" to refer to the church building belonging to the bishop. On the other hand, the only ritual known to be performed in the Red Cathedral does not appear (from where the building is mentioned) closely related to Christian liturgies. The Red Cathedral is probably the same building from which Carson von Mekkhan on the way to the Heterodyne family crypt, but this has not been 100% confirmed. Geisterdamen The Geisterdamen are a cult that worship the Other as their goddess, as well as Agatha Heterodyne as the "Holy Child". They have an orthodox hierarchy with priestesses of at least two different levels, culminating in their high priestess, Lady Vrin (now apparently deceased). The religious symbol used by the Geisterdamen depicts a (stylized) Madonna and child. Religion elsewhere * In some unspecified part of Africa, people apparently take holy vows . * In the Heterodyne stories, Barry Heterodyne always ends up with whoever the exotic High Priestess happens to be. * Bangladesh DuPree wears a skull on her forehead where a bindi goes, although whether it is religious or merely decorative is not known. * In his twitter, Othar describes himself as a Deist. * Skifandrians, including Zeetha, worship the goddess Ashtara. Pagan references Although they have been commonplace in the West at least since the Renaissance, and are therefore invisible to the modern reader, there are a number of references to Pagan mythologies, such as the name of the Knights of Jove — Jove (also called Jovis pater, or "Jupiter") is the king of the Roman pantheon and the god responsible for thunder and lightning. A number of characters have first names that would be considered unusual in our world. Thus, we have Gilgamesh Wulfenbach, and Moloch von Zinzer for example, to say nothing of many members of the Heterodyne family. It could even be significant that the first name of Sanaa Wilhelm is the name of the city given by H. P. Lovecraft as the home town of Abdul al-Hazred, the author of the Necronomicon. See also: * Category:Greek Mythology * Category:Roman Mythology * Category:Levantine Mythology * Category:Norse Mythology * Category:Slavonic Mythology * Category:Geisterdamen * Rogue Clanks discussion: 'All Seven Popes...' Category:Religion Category:Culture